Does Palm reading help in medicine?

Being a clinician is a very interesting profession - What can you find reading the lines on the palm?

Image courtesy: http://www.nlm.nih.gov


A simian crease is a single transverse palmar crease as compared to two creases in a normal palm. Simian crease occurs in about 1 out of 30 normal people, 
Medical conditions it is associated with Simian crease are:
Down syndrome, 
Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome): Excess of arches on fingertips and single transverse palmar creases in 60%
Trisomy 18 (Edward's syndrome) 6 - 10 arches on fingertips and single transverse palmar creases in 30%.
Aarskog syndrome or fetal alcohol syndrome.
Cri du chat (5p-): Excess of arches on fingertips and single transverse palmar creases in 90%.

Dermatoglyphics: is the scientific study of fingerprints

The word dermatoglyphics is tied with the word uncopyrightable as the longest English word without any repeating letters 

The word dermatoglyphics comes from two Greek words (derma, skin and glyphe, carve) and refers to the friction ridge formations which appear on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Characteristically, hair does not grow from this area. The ridging formations serve well to enhance contact, an area of multiple nerve endings (Dermal Papillae) and aids in the prevention of slippage. People of African ancestry display reduced skin pigmentation in the designated locations.  

Cri du chat syndrome

Information Courtesy: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Photo: Wikipedia


Chromosome 5p deletion syndrome; 5p minus syndrome; Cat cry syndrome
The syndrome’s name is based on the infant’s cry, which is high-pitched and sounds like a cat.

• Cry that is high-pitched and sounds like a cat
• Downward slant to the eyes
• Low birth weight and slow growth
• Low-set or abnormally shaped ears
• Mental retardation (intellectual disability)
• Partial webbing or fusing of fingers or toes
• Single line in the palm of the hand
• Skin tags just in front of the ear
• Slow or incomplete development of motor skills
• Small head (microcephaly)
• Small jaw (micrognathia)
• Wide-set eyes
  Intellectual disability (mental retardation) is common. Half of children with this syndrome learn enough verbal skills to communicate. The cat-like cry becomes less noticeable over time.

  Support Groups

  5p- Society -- www.fivepminus.org
  
  Facial features of a patient with Cri du Chat syndrome at age of 8 months (A), 2 years (B), 4 years (C) and 9 years (D)